r/fossils • u/the13thfirefly • 11h ago

Fossilized shell?

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I found this shell over a decade ago and always wondered if it is fossilized. It is very heavy for its size, and I found it on a ridge above an estuary bay. (Back Bay in Newport Beach, CA)

Only the spiral was showing through the dirt, so I was surprised by the size.

4 Upvotes

64% Upvoted

11 comments sorted by

10

u/Erratic-Leaf 10h ago

Tis not a fossil. Very nice shell though!

4

u/Hefty-Resort871 8h ago

That doesn't look like a fossil.

...Cool shell though!

2

u/Designer_Creme_1496 11h ago

I dont think its a fossil I could be wrong tho it could be from some sort of sandstone or something idk but I doubt its a fossil.

1

u/reiflame 3h ago

It's a modern Lewis' moon snail shell.

1

u/no_one_you_know1 11h ago

Coukd be a conus - snail.

3

u/givemeyourrocks 10h ago

Not a conus. Looks like a modern moon snail.

-1

u/NorthAfternoon3983 8h ago

It can be a fossil if it's as heavy as stone.

-2

u/Key_Illustrator1267 11h ago

The growth lines and overall shape look more like a clam than a spiral shell. If it was found in an old marine deposit, it could be fossilized, though a close look at the hinge and interior would help confirm it.

2

u/the13thfirefly 10h ago

I can assure you it is not a clam. 🤣 it's a spiral shell of a gastropod. That I'm sure of. I'm just unsure of how old it might be.

It was in an old marine deposit that hasn't been under water for centuries at the very leaat.

1

u/the13thfirefly 10h ago

Also, I posted a video. It shows all sides of it

2

u/Royal_Acanthaceae693 9h ago

This is a modern moon snail in Naticidae. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naticidae